


Shortest Day, Longest Night

by Crisp_Winter_Fox



Category: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Bisexual Dennis Reynolds, Blow Jobs, Christmas, First Time, Hand Jobs, Happy Ending, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:01:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28199556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crisp_Winter_Fox/pseuds/Crisp_Winter_Fox
Summary: Mac and Dennis sleep together the night before Dennis leaves to spend Christmas in North Dakota.Mac expects Dennis to keep in touch while he's away. He doesn't, leaving Mac to worry about what it all meant.
Relationships: Mac McDonald/Dennis Reynolds
Comments: 9
Kudos: 46





	1. Winter Solstice

Dennis would not be spending Christmas with the gang. Instead, he would be flying to North Dakota on the twenty-second and returning on the twenty-seventh. Mac supposed that was a good thing, really. The Christmases when his dad had been there were always better than the ones when he was in prison. That would be nice for Brian Jr. Mac felt pretty big for not resenting the little boy. The gang never did anything special for Christmas, anyway. Plus, Dennis had decided that the night before he left would be a movie night.  


Mac had initially been against doing anything special on the winter solstice. That sounded like some pagan shit that would make God angry. Dennis had explained that he was being an idiot: it was just the longest night of the year, and a longer night meant a longer movie night. Mac had started to come around and, after several repeated assurances that God wouldn’t be mad at him, he had even got pretty excited about it.  


The plan was to bail on Paddy’s the moment it got dark and watch movies until Dennis had to leave for the airport. They decided to alternate between action movies and rom coms, their two favourite genres. After Predator came Pretty Women, then Thunder Gun Express. It was all going pretty well until they got to the end of My Best Friend’s Wedding.  


Dennis turned it off during the credits which was a shame because I Say A Little Prayer for you was a wholesome Christian banger. He sat there with the weirdest expression on his face until Mac finally asked him what was up.  


“Nothing. I was just expecting them to end up together.”  


“Yeah, it’s weird when rom coms don’t end up with a couple getting together. It’s a good ending, though, I think.”  


Dennis made a sour face. “Not really. She was in love with her best friend for years without really realizing it; she still kinda always thought they’d end up together; she puts all this effort into some really quality schemes to get him but then she ends up with nothing.”  


“Well, she has that British dude that she’s friends with.”  


Dennis turned to him, his face a picture of confusion. “But they were already friends. If she’d ended up with him instead of the other guy that would’ve been a more typical ending, but they can’t do that because he’s gay. So, the movie just ends with the status quo re-established? No one learns a lesson? Nothing changes?”  


Mac shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe they learned a lesson about friendship?”  


“That’s stupid. What they should have done was establish that the British guy – it’s Rupert Everett by the way – established him as bi from the beginning and then have him fall for Julia Roberts. Or maybe he could realize that he was bi gradually and that he has feelings for his best friend even more gradually than that.”  


“I don’t kn…”  


Dennis cut him off, getting more and more animated. “But no, he’s been straight this whole godammed time so he can’t suddenly be all ‘Oh, hi, I’m a forty-five-year-old bisexual in love with my best friend’ that’s just ridiculous!”  


“Gay.”  


“What?”  


“He was gay the whole time, not straight. And I don’t think Rupert Everett was forty-five then; it was like twenty years ago.”  


Dennis shrugged. He flopped back in his seat and began to pick at his nails.  


Mac knew he should probably just forget it and stick Die Hard on but he’d had a thought and needed to process it aloud.  


“This isn’t really relevant to the movie but sometimes it does happen like that. Like, I was straight for years.”  


“You were in denial for years.”  


“Yeah, but if you’d asked me or anyone who knew me if I was straight, the answer would’ve been yes.”  


Dennis scrunched his eyes shut and then opened them really wide. Like a blink in reverse. He kept quiet, though.  


“So, yeah, sometimes you’re ‘established’ as one thing but then you realize you’re another.”  


Dennis eyed him wearily. “What are you trying to say?”  


“That they could’ve done the movie like that, I guess? I don’t think they should’ve, though. It’s maybe kinda poor taste to have a gay character fall for his female friend; a guy who thought he was straight until he fell for his male friend would be much more…”  


Dennis was up and heading for the kitchen. “I need a fucking beer.”  


Mac looked towards Dennis’ end of the sofa where there was an open, half-full box of Coors Light. Mac also had a box of Coors Light at his end of the sofa. There was zero need to go to one of the Coors Light boxes in the kitchen for another Coors Light. Mac realized two things: that they had a perfectly normal amount of Coors Light in the apartment; and that Dennis was avoiding him.  


He let Dennis mill around the kitchen pretending to be doing something and tried to figure out just what had upset him. Did he feel stupid for not getting the end of the movie? Dennis was usually really smart so he probably wouldn’t like being made to feel dumb, especially not by a rom com ending. That had to be it. Mac was proud of himself for figuring it out. Maybe he could fix things by pretending not to understand the plot of Die Hard and letting Dennis explain it to him.  


“Den, should we watch Die Hard now?”  


Dennis was leaning with his back against the fridge drinking a refreshing Coors Light. He shrugged, still not looking at Mac. “I think I’m just gonna go to bed.”  


“What?”  


Mac checked the clock – it was barely midnight. Dennis didn’t have to leave for another few hours; they could get a couple more movies in.  


“Yeah, I’m not really feeling it anymore.”  


Mac wanted to punch himself for picking that stupid movie and ruining their night. This was going to be the last time they saw each other before Christmas, it couldn’t end like this. It was supposed to end with Dennis falling asleep with his head on his shoulder, despite insisting that he could stay awake the whole night. Mac would let it go on for a while before manoeuvring the two of them so Dennis could lie on the sofa. He would lay the throw over him so he wouldn’t get cold and maybe - _maybe _\- even press a light kiss to his forehead. Then he’d wake him up and drive him to the airport. They probably wouldn’t hug at the gate but a shoulder pat as they said goodbye would be nice. Then Dennis would spend the whole plane ride to North Dakota thinking about what a great night he’d had with his best friend. None of that could happen if Mac didn’t fix whatever this was.  
__

__He sprang up and headed for the kitchen.  
_ _

__Dennis paused mid-drink; bottle pressed against his bottom lip. He raised an eyebrow at Mac’s approach, his eyes getting wider with each step towards him.  
_ _

__Mac placed his hands on Dennis’ shoulders. “Dude, I get it.”  
_ _

__Dennis’ arm dropped, the bottle clinking lightly as it hit the fridge. His mouth quirked up into a smile. “You do?”  
_ _

__“Yeah, dude.” He gave his shoulders a reassuring squeeze. “I hate it when a movie’s ending doesn’t make sense to me. Let’s just forget about it and watch Die Hard.”  
_ _

__Dennis’ mouth dropped open but no sound came out. Then he clamped his mouth and eyes shut and screamed in frustration. He shoved past Mac, throwing his beer vaguely in the direction of the sink. There was a huge bang but it didn’t break (quality bottle). He stormed off towards his room only to spin on his heel and come back.  
_ _

__For a second, Mac thought he was about to get his face clawed off. Dennis grabbed his neck with both hands but, instead of choking him, he slammed him against the fridge and kissed him.  
_ _

__Mac could not think quickly enough to respond. His mouth remained mostly slack. Dennis pulled away looking worried.  
_ _

__“Oh god, don’t tell me you’re not even into me, not after all these years of…”  
_ _

__Mac wrapped his arms around Dennis’s waist, crushing their bodies together. “I am into it; you just took me by surprise. I did not see this coming.”  
_ _

__Dennis rolled his eyes. “You’re the fucking dumbest piece of shit on Earth. Carry me to my bed and bang the hell out of me.”  
_ _

__Mac couldn’t tell if Dennis meant that literally but then one of his legs was wrapped around his waist and he was doing his best to climb into his arms with no assistance. Mac got the message then and scooped him up. He eventually navigated his way across the apartment with Dennis grinding against him and stroking his hair.  
_ _

__He dropped Dennis onto the bed hard enough for him to complain but thankfully not hard enough for him to change his mind about banging him.  
_ _

__Mac stood to pull off his t-shirt. When his head popped out, he was treated to the sight of Dennis biting his lip as he watched him. He wished he’d thought to put on more of a show – some of that Magic Mike shit. Then again, Dennis looked pretty blown away as it was. He propped himself up on his elbows for a better look as Mac took off his belt and dropped his pants. As Dennis’ eyes slid over his half-hard dick, Mac was struck by the idea that this might be an elaborate prank. Either that, or his most realistic erotic Dennis dream to date (and, boy, were there some contenders).  
_ _

__Dennis sat up, struggling out of his sweater. Mac helped him in the end, tossing it somewhere to the side. Dennis ran his hands up Mac’s torso. Then he leaned in to kiss along his ribs. Mac brushed his hands through his hair.  
_ _

__“Should we talk about this first?”  
_ _

__Dennis let his bottom lip drag along Mac’s skin as he looked up at him.  
_ _

__“What, like, who’s gonna top?”  
_ _

__“No, I mean…” He gestured pathetically between the two of them.  
_ _

__Dennis looked away again. He hugged Mac around the hips, pressing his forehead against his stomach.  
_ _

__“I don’t wanna talk about that. Feelings and shit. Just spoils the mood.”  
_ _

__Mac knew he should probably insist but then Dennis slid a hand back around his body to take hold of his cock. He gasped. Dennis chuckled.  
_ _

__“See, isn’t that better than talking?” He rubbed his thumb over the head and then slowly pumped him to full hardness. “Want me to make you come like this? Working you with my hands while I tell you how hot and slutty you look?” His other hand squeezed Mac’s ass. “What if I finger-fucked you as I did it?”  
_ _

__The only reply Mac would summon was to say ‘fuck’ a bunch of times. Dennis laughed at him again and let go.  
_ _

__Mac began to whine until he saw that Dennis was lying back and undoing his belt. He reached down and took over, yanking his pants down to his knees. Suddenly he was face to face with Dennis’ dick - the closest he’d ever been to it. There was no point even trying to resist the temptation to lean down and run his wet lips along the shaft.  
_ _

__Dennis cursed above him, thrashing around. Mac wasn’t sure if he was thrusting his hips to chase Mac’s mouth or just trying to shake his pants the rest of the way off. Possibly both. He pinned his hips down and took him into his mouth.  
_ _

__Dennis’ hands curled around his head. Mac did his best to impress him: taking him down as far as he could for as long as he could; not resisting as Dennis began to thrust upwards; letting him hear it when he choked.  
_ _

__Suddenly – far too soon as far as Mac was concerned – the hands in his hair began to pull.  
_ _

__“Stop, dude; I don’t want to come like this.”  
_ _

__Mac reluctantly allowed Dennis to pull him off his cock. He lay his head down on Dennis’ thigh to catch his breath. Dennis peered down at him fondly. He brushed a few strands of hair from Mac’s face, then jabbed him with his toes.  
_ _

__“Get my pants, would ya?”  
_ _

__Mac sat up and did as he was told. He left the pants in a heap on the floor and crawled onto the bed after Dennis.  
_ _

__They lay side by side in the middle of the bed. Mac leaned in for a quick kiss. He nudged Dennis’ nose with his own.  
_ _

__“Can I fuck you?”  
_ _

__Dennis raised an eyebrow. He appeared to seriously consider it before he shook his head.  
_ _

__“Don’t wanna be uncomfortable on the plane.”  
_ _

__Mac had all but forgot that Dennis would be leaving him in a few hours. That he would not be seeing him for several days. It put a bit of a dampener on things. He tried to front out.  
_ _

__“Okay, some other time then.”  
_ _

__Something passed over Dennis’ face. It was just a second, far too quick for Mac to fathom it. Dennis cleared his throat. “Do you ever bottom?”  
_ _

__“Sometimes, yeah, if the guy who wants me to is hot enough.”  
_ _

__Dennis grinned. “So, am I hot enough?”  
_ _

__“What do you think?”  
_ _

__Dennis kissed him, sliding a hand down to palm his ass. Then he turned to fish through the nightstand.  
_ _

__Mac rolled onto his stomach. He pulled his knees under him and braced himself on his elbows. If he stayed in this semi-plank position, he could count this as a core workout. There was no reason to let things slide just because it was almost Christmas.  
_ _

__His thoughts were interrupted by Dennis grabbing hold of his ass. A cold, lubed-up thumb brushed over his hole. Mac gasped, his hips jerking forward.  
_ _

__“Easy, easy.” Dennis patted his side as he settled back down.  
_ _

__He pushed a finger inside.  
_ _

__Mac tried not to breath too erratically. “You done this before? With a chick, I mean?”  
_ _

__“Tons. You worried I don’t know what I’m doing?”  
_ _

__If he had been, Dennis quickly put his mind at rest. He finger-fucked him like a pro. Mac spent several blissful minutes rocking back on Dennis’ fingers (core engaged). Just when he started to think he could come like this and be pretty happy about it, Dennis spoke up.  
_ _

__“You ready, baby?”  
_ _

__“Fuck, yes.”  
_ _

__Dennis pulled his fingers out. Mac heard him fiddling with the condom. Then he braced himself as Dennis pushed into him.  
_ _

__“You okay?”  
_ _

__He nodded. Dennis must have seen because he pulled out slightly and gave a few experimental thrusts. Then he took hold of Mac’s hips and began to fuck him properly.  
_ _

__Mac rested his forehead on his wrist, letting Dennis rock his body gently forward and back.  
_ _

__Dennis lay down on top of him. Pinning him. Mac shoved a hand out for Dennis to take. He did so, squeezing tightly as he thrust in and out, picking up speed.  
_ _

__Dennis slid his other hand under Mac to take hold of his cock. Mac thrust forward into Dennis’ hand and back onto Dennis’ dick.  
_ _

__Dennis tightened his grip, leaning forward to whisper into Mac’s ear. “Come for me, baby. Come on, Mac. Come for me.”  
_ _

__He clenched down hard on Dennis’ cock and came all over his hand. Dennis thrust into him a few more times before making a sound like he was dying. He collapsed on top of Mac.  
_ _

__They lay there for a minute, breathing together. Dennis lifted his head enough to start a trail of kisses just under Mac’s ear, ending around his shoulder. Then he pulled out and left the bed.  
_ _

__Mac rolled onto his back in time to see Dennis disappear into the bathroom. The door opened and a flannel flew at him. He heard the shower start a minute later.  
_ _

__He took the hint and cleaned himself up as best he could. Then he lay there wondering whether or not he should leave. He did kinda feel like he’d been dismissed.  
_ _

__When Dennis emerged, clean and dry, he looked mildly surprised to see Mac. He said nothing, though. He slipped on a pair of boxers from the drawer and got into bed.  
_ _

__“You sleeping in here?”  
_ _

__“I guess?”  
_ _

__Dennis nodded. He reached down to pull the blankets over them. There was a moment of hesitation. Then he rolled over to lie on Mac’s chest. Snuggling into Mac’s side, he let himself be held. Mac pressed a kiss to his forehead.  
_ _

__“Goodnight, bro.”  
_ _

__“Goodnight, dude.”  
_ _

__*  
_ _

__Mac woke up alone somewhere around eleven. Dennis would have left hours ago.  
_ _

__He still checked the apartment for him just in case. The range rover was still outside; he must have taken a taxi. There was a note on the kitchen table asking him to change the sheets when he woke up.  
_ _

__Mac was at a loss. There was no point in texting him now, he’d be on the plane. Hopefully, he’d remember to check in with him when he landed. Maybe he could ask him how he was feeling then. Except Dennis would probably take the question at face value and say he was fine. The talk they needed to have would have to wait until after North Dakota. Dennis had probably planned the whole thing this way. Could he be hoping that Mac forgot about it while he was away? Or maybe the plan was to dash Mac’s hopes of this being anything more than it was. It made his head ache trying to figure out what Dennis wanted sometimes. Not to mention his heart.  
_ _

__After a couple of beers, Mac got into Dennis’ surveillance system to watch the video of the previous night. He skipped past them banging (he would go back to it later, obviously) and kept it on fast forward until he saw Dennis get up. He watched him slip out of bed and get dressed. It was obvious from his movements that he was trying not to wake Mac up. He looked like any guy bailing on a shitty one-night stand.  
_ _

__Right at the end, he came over and tucked Mac in. It was difficult to see from the angle, but it looked like he leaned down and kissed Mac on the forehead.  
_ _

__Then he left.  
_ _

__The Mac on the screen slept peacefully as the one watching tried not to cry._ _


	2. Christmas Day

Christmas morning was pretty typical for Mac. Midnight mass followed by throwing rocks at trains. It was just him and Charlie this year but that was often the case; the others only came if they were still up from the night before which happened less and less as they all got older.  


They made little in the way of conversation. Charlie asked why Mac was limping (jerking himself raw to the footage of him and Dennis all Christmas Eve) and why his eyes were all puffy (the inevitable crying sessions afterwards). Apart from that, they mostly threw rocks in silence.  


Mac had barely heard from Dennis. He hadn’t even checked in after his flight. Mac sent several messages until he finally got desperate.  


-Dude, a flight to North Dakota crashed this morning. Please check in.  


__That, at least, got a response.  
_ _

-No it fucking didn’t, you crazy asshole. I’m fine. See you in a few days. _  
_

___At least he knew that Dennis was safe.  
_ _ _

___Mac and Charlie went to their moms’ place after the tracks. Santa train aside, Mrs Kelly really knew how to do Christmas right. The house was beautifully decorated outside and in. They were greeted at the door with hugs and gingerbread men. Mac hugged his mom too and she gave him the grunt that meant ‘Merry Christmas, son’.  
_ _ _

___It occurred to Mac that he could ask his mom for guidance on what to do about Dennis. She had been with his dad for over forty-five years, she had to know something about relationships. It would have to wait for later when she’d finished watching TV, though; Mac knew better than to interrupt her shows.  
_ _ _

___Charlie called Frank to let him know where they were. He turned up a little later in the day. An uninvited Dee soon followed.  
_ _ _

___“So, this is where you all are? Thanks for leaving me alone on Christmas, jerkwads.”  
_ _ _

___Between the television and everyone talking over each other and the ready supply of alcohol thanks to Mrs Kelly’s drinking problem, Mac had barely thought about Dennis at all. When he felt his phone going off, he fished it out of his pocket without really thinking about it.  
_ _ _

___There was Dennis’ name along with his scowling picture (Mac had ambushed him with a photo he had neither anticipated, nor consented to). It was a video call as well – Mac would actually get to see him! He wanted to get away from the gang first but was too worried about Dennis hanging up so he answered immediately.  
_ _ _

___The bright-eyed face of a little boy filled the screen.  
_ _ _

___“Hi! Who are you?”  
_ _ _

___Mac tried to hide his disappointment. “Hi Brian Jr, I’m daddy’s friend, Mac. Is he there?”  
_ _ _

___Mrs Kelly peered over his shoulder. “Oh, how sweet.”  
_ _ _

___Brian Jr’s eyes darted around the frame. “Are there lots of people where you are? I wanna say hi.”  
_ _ _

___“Can you go get your dad, please?”  
_ _ _

___“I wanna say hi!”  
_ _ _

___Reluctantly, Mac turned the phone around and showed him everyone. Dee waved, not bothering to stop drinking; Charlie bothered with a “Hey, buddy.” When the camera got to Frank, Brian Jr squealed.  
_ _ _

___“Grandpa!”  
_ _ _

___Frank, who had previously shown zero signs of giving a shit, grinned. “The kid knows I’m his grandpa!”  
_ _ _

___“Except you’re not.” Dee put in.  
_ _ _

___“As good as.”  
_ _ _

___There was a commotion on the other end of the phone, followed by Dennis’ voice.  
_ _ _

___“Hello, who is this?”  
_ _ _

___Mac jumped up, swinging the phone back round to himself. “Dennis! It’s me! Well, it’s the gang. We’re all here.”  
_ _ _

___Dennis was in a colourful sweater with the Grinch on the front. Presumably, a present from Mandy or Brian Jr that he pretty much had to wear. He smiled awkwardly.  
_ _ _

___“Hey. I let Brian Jr play with my phone and he managed to sneak off and start calling people.”  
_ _ _

___“I was kinda hoping you’d call me to be h…”  
_ _ _

___Frank elbowed his way into the frame. “Dennis, the kid called me grandpa!”  
_ _ _

___“What?”  
_ _ _

___“Yeah, he knows who I am.”  
_ _ _

___“No, Frank, he calls every old man he sees grandpa. He just thinks it’s what they’re called.”  
_ _ _

___Charlie popped up behind Frank. “Hey, Dennis, do you think you could get him to call me Uncky Charlie? That’d be sweet.”  
_ _ _

___“Oh for… Mac, can you get me away from these people?”  
_ _ _

___Mac was more than happy to escape the crowded living room for the privacy of the back porch.  
_ _ _

___“It’s nice to see you dude. Merry Christmas.”  
_ _ _

___Dennis was watching something off screen. “Yeah, Christmas.”  
_ _ _

___“Should we maybe talk about…”  
_ _ _

___That got Dennis’ attention. He looked alarmed.  
_ _ _

___“No. Nah. It’s Christmas, dude. Too much going on.”  
_ _ _

___“Okay… is Brian Jr having a good day?”  
_ _ _

___Dennis smiled. “Yeah, he’s having fun with all his presents. Real excited. It’s nice to be around, you know?”  
_ _ _

___“I’ll bet.”  
_ _ _

___They were quiet for a moment.  
_ _ _

___“Listen, Mac…”  
_ _ _

___Mac perked up. He saw his own face light up in the bottom corner of the screen. He may as well have had heart eyes.  
_ _ _

___Dennis stared at him. Then he looked away. “I erm…I’d better get back.”  
_ _ _

___Mac’s heart sank.  
_ _ _

___“Okay, dude. Merry Christmas.”  
_ _ _

___“Merry Christmas. Bye.”  
_ _ _

___“Bye. Love you.”  
_ _ _

___“You too.”  
_ _ _

___The call ended.  
_ _ _

___Mac sat there staring at this screen. Had Dennis realized what he’d said? What they’d both said? He had been distracted. But, maybe… Mac knew he shouldn’t get his hopes up, they’d been dashed too many times before.  
_ _ _

___When he went inside, he found his mom sitting at the kitchen table eating some kind of pie. He checked that everyone else was busy in the living room before pulling out a chair and sitting down.  
_ _ _

___“Mom, I need to talk to you about something.”  
_ _ _

___She rolled her eyes and sighed. In that fun, jokey way she did.  
_ _ _

___“I’m probably in love with Dennis and he might also love me. Something happened before he left for North Dakota but like, right before he left so we never had the chance to talk about it. Now I can barely get him on the phone for five seconds. We both said we loved each other just now but it was kinda an accident? What do you think I should do?”  
_ _ _

___His mom stared straight ahead, chewing the pie in her mouth. She must have been mulling it over. Maybe a prompt would help.  
_ _ _

___“Do you think he regrets it? It didn’t seem like he did at the time but maybe now he’s thought about it, he wishes it hadn’t happened. Maybe he had an idea of what it would be like and then it wasn’t like that so now he wants to forget about it.”  
_ _ _

___She swallowed her pie. Mac held his breath waiting for what she was going to say. She had another spoonful of pie.  
_ _ _

___“I just wish I knew what he wanted. If he wants to come back and just be friends again or if he wants to be my boyfriend.”  
_ _ _

___“I thought he was your boyfriend.”  
_ _ _

___Mac wished his mom had finished eating before she said that but it was an interesting point.  
_ _ _

___“Why? Did we act like a couple?”  
_ _ _

___She sighed.  
_ _ _

___His mom’s analysis of the situation seemed to suggest that the lines of friendship between him and Dennis had blurred long before they actually had sex. Maybe Dennis having feelings for him had not been out of the blue. He had called Mac an idiot for not seeing it coming. Was this something that was obvious to everyone else? He really wanted to ask the gang but knew Dennis would kill him for it the second he got back. Perhaps he could think of a subtle way of bringing it up so he could find out what they thought without letting them know that anything had actually happened.  
_ _ _

___“I guess you’re right, mom. We’ll just have to have it out when he gets back the day after tomorrow.”  
_ _ _

___His mom grunted and curled around her pie. He knew he would get no more out of her for the rest of the night.  
_ _ _

___He joined the others in the living room.  
_ _ _

___Frank perked up when he saw him.  
_ _ _

___“Did Bobby Jr say anything about me?”  
_ _ _

___“Brian Jr, Frank. He left. I just talked to Dennis.”  
_ _ _

___“I gotta say, I liked being called grandpa. Deandra, do you ever think about having another kid? You still getting your period, sweetie?”  
_ _ _

___“Jesus Christ, Frank!”  
_ _ _

___“If it’s too late, maybe you can try to get the one back that you gave to Mac’s girl. Maybe they don’t want it now it ain’t cute no more. I wouldn’t pay the same price they paid when it was a baby but I’m open to a reasonable negotiation.”  
_ _ _

___“They still want their son, Frank. They’re very happy.”  
_ _ _

___Mac perked up. “You still talk to Carmen?”  
_ _ _

___“No, I just go on her Facebook and Insta sometimes, see how the kid turned out. They had a couple more with some other sucker. No way I’d have done that shit again.” Dee turned to him and placed her hand on his arm. “She named one of the kids Mac, you know.”  
_ _ _

___Mac was touched. “Really?”  
_ _ _

___Dee kept a straight face for a second and then began to cackle.  
_ _ _

___“You goddamed bitch!” He shook her hand off his arm and sat there sulking.  
_ _ _

___Sometime later, Mac’s mom went for nap. Mrs Kelly was off doing something too so Mac found himself alone with the gang. No one was really doing anything: Dee was on her phone; Frank stared blankly at the TV; Charlie appeared to be playing with a hole in his sleeve. If Mac was going to say something, it would have to be now.  
_ _ _

___He cleared his throat. “Hey, you guys, would… wouldn’t it be funny if me and Dennis banged?”  
_ _ _

___Three heads snapped round to stare at him.  
_ _ _

___It was Frank who spoke first. “I don’t get it.”  
_ _ _

___“How do you mean ‘funny’, dude?” Charlie asked.  
_ _ _

___“Well, not funny like actually funny. Just, wouldn’t that be a wild, random thing to have happened and you guys would be all like ‘no way’?”  
_ _ _

___The clock on the mantle had never been so loud.  
_ _ _

___Charlie placed a hand on his shoulder. “Dude, you’ve gotta let that shit go.”  
_ _ _

___“Yeah,” Said Frank “Think of all the quality dong you’re missing out on cuz you’re pining after Dennis.”  
_ _ _

___Charlie was actually rubbing his arm now. “Dude, if he was gonna bang you, he would have by now.”  
_ _ _

___Dee spoke up, still glued to her phone. “I always assumed they had at some point.”  
_ _ _

___All eyes were on her now.  
_ _ _

___“Like, you thought we were a couple?” Did every single woman in his life think that? Why were they all just sharing it today?  
_ _ _

___“No, not like an actual couple.” Dee’s hands were all over the place as she talked, as though she was physically grappling to find her point. “But, maybe back before you got really, violently in denial and you too were more pathetically co-dependent than you are now, I thought: yeah, they’ve probably touched dicks at some point and just agreed not to make a thing of it.” She ended her mad series of gestures with a shrug.  
_ _ _

___Charlie and Frank stared at her.  
_ _ _

___“Er, Dee, that’s actually pretty insensitive to Mac’s feelings and junk.”  
_ _ _

___“Plus, it’s dumb as shit, Deandra.”  
_ _ _

___“Whatever, white Christmas stains.” She went back to her phone.  
_ _ _

___Mac thought about what Dee said for the rest of the day.  
_ _ _

___He couldn’t sleep that night. He lay in bed typing out and deleting various texts to Dennis. In the end he settled on something simple and from the heart.  
_ _ _

-Dennis, it was really nice to see you today. I know you didn’t call me on purpose but it still meant a lot. I get why you don’t wanna talk about what happened (us banging) over the phone. It’s a Big Deal that needs real consideration so you’re totally right to want to leave it until you get home. Merry Christmas, dude. Can’t wait to see you the day after tomorrow. Luv Mac X _  
_

___He read it through several times before sending it. He was happy enough with how it sounded. It got across that he was cool with waiting to talk things through. It also, he thought, expressed his feelings without coming on too strong. It was just right.  
_ _ _

___His phone was still in his hand when the reply came through; he had not expected one so soon.  
_ _ _

-Decided to stay in North Dakota for a little longer. See you sometime in the New Year. _  
_

___Mac reread it a couple of times, just in case he’d misunderstood the first time. Unfortunately, he hadn't: Dennis would be gone for another week, if not longer.  
_ _ _

___Well. That was that. He certainly couldn’t begrudge a man spending more time with his son over the holidays.  
_ _ _

___Mac sat staring at the wall for a little while, then he slipped out of bed. Dennis’ room was warmer than his, maybe whatever he’d done to soundproof it also had an insulating effect. The bed was bigger and much nicer. Mac had changed the sheets like the note told him to, not wanting to give Dennis a reason to be mad at him when he got back. He settled in, hugging one of the pillows to his chest.  
_ _ _

___It took him a long time to get to sleep._ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had Charlie ask to be called Uncky like Uncky Herb in The Simpsons and then a whole 24 hours later remembered that Uncky Herb was Danny DeVito. Let's pretend it was a deliberate reference and I am smart. 
> 
> Merry Christmas everyone!


	3. New Year's Eve

The days between Christmas and New Year were always a weird, vague, nothingness. It really didn’t help to be in a friendship/relationship limbo with someone who hadn’t even given you a definite date for their return.  


Mac mostly managed not to think about Dennis. Except for the times (multiple) where he re-watched My Best Friend’s Wedding trying to figure out just what had set Dennis off that night. He actually sat there with a little pad and pen taking note of anything that seemed significant. He made a list of everything that Dennis said about it afterwards: in love with her best friend for years without really realizing it; still kinda thought they’d end up together; hi, I’m a forty-five-year-old bisexual in love with my best friend.  


Now he thought about it, that last one was pretty clear. Dennis was probably right about him being an idiot.  


It got to the point where his little reporter’s notebook was covered in indecipherable scribble and he could no longer follow his notes. He decided that he needed to upgrade.  


He dug out the flipchart from under his bed. He’d used it a few weeks ago when Dennis demanded he get rid of the Ass Pounder 4000 and he’d had to argue against it. The first page contained a detailed diagram of the product along with a list of its fitness the benefits. The next page was the one where Dennis had wrestled the marker from him and scrawled GET YOUR FUCKING DILDO BIKE OUT OF MY APARTMENT. After that, there were drawings of various methods of execution and a printed shot of Christopher Eccleston in _Let Him Have It _. Mac could not remember how it had turned into an argument about the death penalty or even what the outcome had been. There were several more pages of increasingly graphic drawings before he came to a blank one.  
__

__Once he had prepared his presentation, Mac realized he needed an audience. Charlie was the obvious choice: Dee would gloat and Mac didn’t really want to talk to Frank about banging his son. Mac toyed with the idea of pitching it to Charlie as a hypothetical rather than something that had really happened. He ultimately decided that could get too complicated to keep track of. Charlie wouldn’t be able to follow Mac’s line of reasoning if he didn’t have all the facts. Plus, Dennis had never actually said not to tell anyone.  
_ _

__It was eleven am on New Year’s Eve when Charlie strode into Mac’s apartment eating from an open bag of Cheetos.  
_ _

__“Right, what’s happening? What’s this big thing you need me to solve for you?” he cast his eye over the chart and the mess the apartment had become and then Mac himself, taking in his haggard, unwashed form. “You doing all right without Dennis, bud?”  
_ _

__Mac wished he’d thought to smarten himself up first. It maybe would’ve strengthened his arguments if it looked as though he’d slept since Christmas.  
_ _

__“I’m fine. I just need you to take a seat and hear me out.”  
_ _

__Charlie remained on his feet. “So, what is it we’re supposed to be figuring out?”  
_ _

__“Dennis.”  
_ _

__“Like, all of him?”  
_ _

__Mac took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to put it all into words.  
_ _

__Charlie stepped up to the chart and read the top line. “Dennis equals jealous robots?”  
_ _

__“What? No, Dennis equals Julia Roberts.”  
_ _

__“How is that less stupid than what I said?”  
_ _

__Mac flapped his hands. “It was this movie! This stupid movie and Dennis, like, over-identified with Julia Roberts and then it set off this whole thing.”  
_ _

__Charlie flipped backwards through the chart. “Is this someone in the electric chair? And a bunch of nooses? ‘Judges equals bitches’ – what does any of this have to do with Dennis?”  
_ _

__Mac snapped. “Look, we banged, okay? Then Dennis left and he extended his trip and he won’t tell me when he’s coming home and I just need to figure out what it all means and this,” he gestured to the chart “is my process.”  
_ _

__Charlie stumbled backwards to the couch and finally sat down. He stared at Mac, mouth hanging open.  
_ _

__“Huh.”  
_ _

__“What’re you thinking?”  
_ _

__Charlie shrugged. “Just that, you wanted Dennis for, like, decades and then you finally got to bang him but it turned out it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Can’t imagine how that feels, dude.”  
_ _

__Mac’s hands twitched with the urge to throttle him. “You know exactly how it feels; it happened to you within recent memory!”  
_ _

__Charlie thought about it for a second. “Oh, yeah. Aw, so Dennis is like your Waitress?”  
_ _

__Mac recoiled. “This is nothing like you and the Waitress, Dennis loves me.”  
_ _

__“He said that?”  
_ _

__“Yes! Sorta. On accident. But he also kinda said it when he was talking about himself as Julia Roberts. It’s all very confusing.”  
_ _

__“Oh man, I am not following this.”  
_ _

__“Look.” Mac strode over to the chart and flipped over several pages until he came to the most important quote. “He said: I’m a forty-five-year-old bisexual in love with my best friend.”  
_ _

__“And he was Julia Roberts when he said this?”  
_ _

__“No, he was Rupert Everett when he said this. But, really, he was himself saying this because he loves me.”  
_ _

__Charlie held up a hand. He started counting off points on his Cheeto-covered fingers. “So, he said he was bisexual; that he was in love with his best friend; and then he banged you?”  
_ _

__“Yes.”  
_ _

__“So, what are we trying to figure out exactly?”  
_ _

__“We’re trying…” What were they trying to figure out?  
_ _

__“Look, man, you know what a freak Dennis is when it comes to feelings and stuff. He probably just needs to calm down. He’ll come back; he did last time.”  
_ _

__Mac really did not need a reminder of how long Dennis had abandoned him for last time. There was no way he could do this for a year – look how crazy he’d gone in ten days. He slumped onto the sofa next to Charlie.  
_ _

__“What do I do?”  
_ _

__“There’s nothing you can do. You’ve just got to get on with your life and deal with Dennis when he gets back.”  
_ _

__“I guess you’re right.”  
_ _

__“Yeah.” Charlie got to his feet. “So, I’ll see you at work tonight?”  
_ _

__“Yeah. Hey, don’t get telling everyone about me and Dennis, okay?”  
_ _

__“Of course not.”  
_ _

__When Mac walked through the door of Paddy’s that night, Dee screeched at him.  
_ _

__“I knew it! I knew you two banged! Wish I’d thought to make you boners put money on it.”  
_ _

__Mac turned to Charlie. “What the hell? I told you not to tell everyone!”  
_ _

__“I didn’t! I just told Frank. Dee overheard; I didn’t know she was there.”  
_ _

__“I was stood right next you.”  
_ _

__“Whatever.” Mac stomped off to go find something useful to do.  
_ _

__Dee ran after him. “Hey, don’t you want to hear my plan for how you can get back at Dennis?”  
_ _

__“I’m not trying to get back at Dennis.”  
_ _

__“To make him jealous, then. Have him jumping on the first flight to Philly to come fight for his man.”  
_ _

__Mac slammed the office door in her face. He could not begin to contemplate just how desperate he would have to be to want to follow Dee’s plan.  
_ _

__He found out a few hours later.  
_ _

__The bar was heaving, and not just by Paddy’s standards. Frank had gone all out for New Year’s Eve: there was food; extra temporary bar staff who were most likely getting stiffed on their pay; a DJ and a bunch of stupid lights that were giving Mac a headache.  
_ _

__Mac leaned against the bar nursing a tasteless, non-Coors beer. New Year’s Eve was dumb at the best of times but this year it was sorely lacking Dennis bitching about people using the end of the year as an excuse to turn into complete savages. Dennis would hate the bar tonight: too loud; crowd skewing too young; all of them drunk, sloppy idiots. Mac would no doubt have ended up dragging him into the back office or maybe even the alley to get away from it all until he calmed down. If Dennis had come back when he was originally due, and they’d had the time to figure everything out, this would be their first New Year’s Eve as a couple. Maybe they could have bailed on the bar and chilled at home, curled up in front of the window to watch the fireworks before heading to bed at a sensible time. Mac could have started the new year with his life the most together it had ever been.  
_ _

__Dee’s head appeared over his shoulder, causing him to yelp and spill his drink. He turned to find her leaning over the bar.  
_ _

__“Wanna hear my plan now?”  
_ _

__Mac slammed his mostly-empty bottle down onto the bar. “Fine! What?”  
_ _

__Dee grinned, drumming her nails on the bar. “So, it’s New Year’s Eve, right?”  
_ _

__“Right.”  
_ _

__“And they’re gonna be doing the countdown in like five minutes. Why don’t we find you a stone-cold hottie to kiss at midnight?”  
_ _

__Because he didn’t want to kiss anyone but Dennis. “Because that’s stupid and won’t achieve anything.”  
_ _

__“No, see, here’s the best part: I’ll film it for my insta story and I’ll send it right to Dennis. He’s gonna lose his shit.”  
_ _

__Mac could see the logic in it, at least. And it would serve Dennis right to think that he’d got sick of waiting for him and moved on.  
_ _

__“What’s in it for you, Dee?”  
_ _

__“Well, one: I get to torture my dickbag of a brother. Two: I’ll toss some shit together about how proud I am of my friend who was closeted for years but now is comfortable making out with a dude in the middle of a busy bar, hashtag love is love – my followers will eat that shit up.”  
_ _

__Mac pulled a face. “Yeah, no, I don’t want any of that.”  
_ _

__Dee scowled and stormed off.  
_ _

__The DJ announced that he would be starting the countdown in just a minute.  
_ _

__Mac decided to get shitfaced, possibly for the whole of January. He turned to get himself another drink and almost walked smack into a pretty hot guy.  
_ _

__“Sorry.” He said as a reflex.  
_ _

__“Don’t worry about it.” The guy smiled at him.  
_ _

__Mac took a good look at him then: light brown hair with a soft wave; beautiful blue eyes; dazzling smile. More than a passing resemblance to Dennis.  
_ _

__Not Dennis pointed behind the bar. “That lady says I get free shots if I kiss you at midnight.”  
_ _

__Mac turned his head to see Dee looking ridiculously pleased with herself. He turned back to Not Dennis – the guy was maybe late twenties, early thirties. He didn’t just look like Dennis, he looked like Dennis in his prime. Real Dennis would be furious.  
_ _

__“Fuck it. Yeah, okay.”  
_ _

__The DJ started the countdown, the crowd shouting along. Dee ran over with her phone. Not Dennis stepped in close. Dee began to film them.  
_ _

___THREE – TWO – ONE _  
__ _ _

___Mac kissed a pale imitation of the love of his life while a dumb bird filmed it for Instagram likes.  
_ _ _

___When it was over, he felt kinda gross. Not Dennis immediately leaned over the bar to demand his free shots from Dee. Mac turned away from both of them.  
_ _ _

___He came face to horrified face with Real Dennis.  
_ _ _

___Stood there in his winter coat with his little wheeled suitcase at his feet, Dennis had obviously come straight from the airport. His mouth hung open a moment before slamming shut. His eyes shone with tears, either of sadness or rage. Or both.  
_ _ _

___Mac stepped forwards, placing his hands on his shoulders.  
_ _ _

___“Dennis, you’re back! I’m so glad, I’ve been going crazy without...”  
_ _ _

___Dennis shook him off. Mac braced himself for the inevitable screaming. It didn’t come. Instead, Dennis turned and fought his way through the drunken crowd.  
_ _ _

___He stormed out, slamming the door to Paddy’s behind him._ _ _


	4. New Year's Day

The cold hit Mac like a train. The first in what was sure to be an endless stream of fireworks made him jump. He looked down the street but saw no sign of Dennis. Had he ran? Would he run all the way back to North Dakota and never return?  


“Behind you, idiot.”  


He turned to see Dennis leaning against the wall of the bar, doing something on his phone.  


Mac approached him carefully. Dennis’ face was lit in a soft blue glow from his screen. Mascara trailed down his cheeks in crooked lines.  


“I thought you weren’t coming back yet.”  


“Thought you had plenty more time to make out with ugly bar skanks?”  


Mac looked down at his feet. “That was just some dumb shit that Dee made me do.”  


“And you didn’t want to?”  


“No, I wanted you to come back and I wanted to know what the fuck was going on in your head. How about you just come out and tell me what you want, Dennis?”  


Dennis shoved off from the wall. He wrapped his arms around himself. “I want this Uber to turn up so I don’t have to stand in the fucking cold.”  


“Wait inside if you’re cold.”  


“God no. It’s so loud and the stupid lights and it’s full of drunken savages who all look about twenty-five. Except the guy you were with, he looked old and gross.”  


Mac had to chuckle at that. Dennis didn’t join in but his face did slide into something slightly less murderous. An especially loud rocket had Mac looking across the street. A couple more went off, exploding in brilliant reds and oranges above the wreck of Dennis’ old car.  


“Why don’t we wait in the Range Rover?”  


“Why would I be waiting for an Uber if I had the Range…”  


Mac took off across the street.  


“You can’t be serious. Does it even have seats anymore?”  


The front door was stuck tight. The back door opened and promptly fell off, clattering into the road. Mac flinched back from it. He turned to see Dennis a few paces behind him, smiling fondly. Mac stepped aside, half bowing, and gestured towards the open door. Dennis rolled his eyes and climbed in.  


“This is completely idiotic. Don’t leave my suitcase out there.”  


Mac dutifully passed the case over and got in.  


The blackened interior of the Range Rover was neither comfortable nor warm. At least it felt slightly more private than arguing right in front of Paddy’s.  


Dennis picked at the twisted metal of the door frame next to him.  


“Still can’t believe you shot the rocket without me.”  


“You were gone. Run off to North Dakota for the first time.”  


Dennis frowned at him. “I needed to spend time with my son. Plus, things around here were…weird.”  


“How so?”  


“The fake relationship thing and you recreating the apartment exactly and then thinking we could just keep sleeping in the same bed without it being a thing.”  


“Is that when you realized you loved me?”  


“I didn’t realize shit. I just knew something was off and I had to get out. Then I came back and you’d got stupidly hot and I didn’t know how to handle it.”  


Mac paused a moment to bask in the warm feeling that the compliment gave him.  


“Dude, you know you could’ve said something at any time in the last couple of years and I’d have jumped at the chance to be with you.”  


“I didn’t know if I wanted that. I still don’t.”  


“Really?”  


Dennis shrugged. He let his head fall back and stared out of the hole where the roof used to be. The ongoing fireworks illuminated the mess that was his face.  


Mac sighed, leaning forwards to grab hold of Dennis’ suitcase.  


“What are you doing?”  


“Looking for make up wipes.”  


“Oh. That side pocket just there.”  


They shuffled to face each other. Mac cradled Dennis’ jaw as he set about wiping mascara from his eyes and cheeks.  


“I think you might have gone overboard with this.”  


“Shut up, I was nervous about seeing you. And it was a rush job in the back of a dark taxi. The driver gave me weird looks the whole way here, then said I could get a discount if I sucked his dick.”  


“A discount, not a free ride?”  


“I know, right? I should have clawed the side of his face off.”  


Mac chuckled. He could feel Dennis’ smile against his palm. He tossed the wipe but kept his other hand where it was. Dennis reached up to rub his forearm.  


“I don’t regret what happened. I know it must have seemed like it afterwards.”  


“Why refuse to talk to me? Why extend your trip?”  


“You wouldn’t get it. When I’m with Mandy and Brian Jr I have to basically be a whole other person – a normal person. I have to keep it separate from gang nonsense, the fucked up, ludicrously esoteric way in which we’ve all come to live.”  


“Me and you being together isn’t ‘gang nonsense’.”  


“No, but, we’re not normal, well-adjusted people who live ordinary lives. Have you even thought about what us being a couple would do to the group dynamic?”  


“Make it better? Or, make it exactly the same but with us banging?”  


Dennis sighed.  


Mac pulled him in close.  


“Look, I know change is scary and, like, pretty much against everything we believe in as a gang but, sometimes change makes things better. Don’t you love Brian Jr? Aren’t you glad I came out? Those are two enormous, life-altering events and we’ve only been happier since.”  


“I know. I know.” His mouth opened to say something else but then it shut again.  


Mac knew - from many long years of painful experience – what it was like to be at war with yourself. There was nothing he could really do except wait to see which faction won: the part of Dennis that strove for happiness, or the part that thought it was not only impossible, but pathetic to try. Mac could end up waiting for him for years, maybe even decades. Again. Missing out on other avenues for happiness – or quality dong, as Frank had put it. Mac knew he would do it, without complaint, however many years it took. Dennis probably knew it too.  


Their eyes were locked. Absent of make-up, Dennis looked naked and vulnerable. He chewed on his bottom lip.  


“I…”  


Mac braced himself for heartache, for disappointment.  


“I want this.” Fisting his hands in Mac’s shirt, Dennis pulled him in for a quick kiss. “I want this so fucking much.”  


Mac let Dennis kiss the undoubtably dopey expression off his face.  


When he pulled back, Dennis peered up at Mac from beneath his lashes, his expression shifting to something more playful. “Have you ever wished you could fool around with me in the backseat of the Range Rover?”  


Mac grinned. “From the very first day you bought it.”  


The fooling around lasted for all of a minute before Dennis’ Uber arrived. The driver had the good grace not to ask why they’d emerged, flushed and out of breath, from a burned-out car on the side of the road. Dennis still left him a bad review for interrupting.  


Mac remembered about his aborted presentation a second before they walked through the door. He attempted to steer Dennis away from the living room but he shook him off and went for a closer look.  


“I’m Julia Roberts?”  


“Erm, yeah, because of that stuff you were saying about My Best Friend’s Wedding. Plus, if you had to be played by a Hollywood actress in a movie…”  


“It absolutely would be Julia Roberts, you are so right!”  


Dennis kissed him then, steadily guiding him in the direction of the bedroom. He pulled away suddenly.  


“Have you watched the footage of us banging? How did we look?”  


“Shit hot, dude. Like we were made to fuck on film.”  


Dennis frantically ripped off his coat. He shoved Mac the rest of the way into the bedroom.  


Mac could not believe his luck.  


He still could not believe it some twenty minutes later when he had Dennis lying beneath him, writhing on his fingers.  


Dennis was flat on his back, knees up with a pillow wedged under his hips. Mac had one palm flat on Dennis’ stomach, feeling the frantic rise and fall of his abs as he struggled to breathe properly. From the way Dennis gripped the headboard, Mac suspected that he’d like to be tied to it. He’d be happy enough to him indulge him some other time; there was no way he could pause the action right now.  


Except that he had to do exactly that to put a condom on. He assumed he needed one. He didn’t dare ask Dennis unless he was kicked out of bed and subjected to an hour-long lecture on safe sex.  


The way Dennis moaned as Mac entered him was obscene. He clasped a hand on Mac’s neck and yanked him down for a frantic kiss.  


Mac stayed where he was. Resting his forehead against Dennis’. He fought the urge to thrust. Dennis wrapped his legs around him.  


“You can move, you know.”  


“You sure?”  


Dennis laughed at his strangled voice. “Yeah. Come on, give it to me.”  


Mac started slow with gentle rolls of his hips, enjoying the string of gasps that Dennis let out. Once he was certain he wasn’t hurting Dennis, he pulled out slightly and thrusted back in. Burying his face in Dennis’ neck, he built up a steady rhythm. Dennis’ hands roved his back as his heels dug into his ass, spurring him on.  


“Fuck, Mac, that’s it.”  


Mac reached down and took hold of Dennis’ thigh as he began to pick up speed. Dennis peppered the side of his face with kisses until Mac turned enough to kiss him properly.  


Dennis whined softly when Mac pushed himself up and away from him. Then he cried out as Mac braced himself on his arms and began to fuck him as hard as he could.  


That didn’t satisfy Mac for long. He sat up and manoeuvred Dennis’ legs so that his ankles rested on Mac’s shoulders. From there, he could grip Dennis’ thighs as he fucked into him with short, vicious thrusts.  


Dennis took hold of his cock. The momentum of Mac’s thrusts had him fucking up into his own hands with very little effort on his part.  


“Jesus, fuck, I’m close.”  


Mac decided to take that as an order to speed up. He did so.  


“Fuck, baby, this is gonna look so good on camera.”  


That did for Mac. He yowled out his climax and fell forwards, letting Dennis’ legs take his weight.  


Dennis jerked himself frantically and came with a cry.  


Mac pulled himself together enough to stop crushing Dennis. He settled down on the bed next to him.  


Dennis pulled the pillow from under himself and slowly lowered his legs. He winced.  


“Wish I’d thought to stretch first.”  


“Want me to rub them for you?”  


“Nah, I’ll take a shower when I can stand again, the hot water’ll fix it.”  


Mac leaned over and placed a kiss on his shoulder. “So, what now?”  


“Shower?”  


“Don’t pretend you don’t know what I mean.”  


Dennis frowned. He reached over and pressed a button behind his nightstand. Turning the cameras off, Mac guessed. Dennis rolled onto his side.  


“Do we really want to be using words like ‘boyfriends’ and ‘dating’ and whatever at our age?”  


Mac shrugged one shoulder. “I guess not. Life partners sounds better, anyway.”  


Dennis made an unhappy noise at that.  


“Look, Den, I’m happy to use whatever words you wanna use, just as long as we’re together.” Mac left it for as long as he could stand before adding, “Are we together?”  


Dennis smiled at him. “Yeah, we’re together.” He leaned over a kissed him. “I am not looking forward to telling the gang.”  


Mac’s stomach dropped. “They know. That we banged anyway.”  


Dennis raised an eyebrow.  


“I needed to get some perspective!”  


“Which one of those misshapen little misfits could’ve possibly given you some perspective? Well, at least that’s one thing out of the way.”  


“How do you wanna handle things when we see them tomorrow? Just, like, walk into the bar holding hands?”  


Dennis stretched himself out on the bed. “I am going nowhere tomorrow. Let’s stay here all day.”  


“Here as in the apartment or here as in bed?”  


“Depends how sore I am in the morning. We showering or what?”  


Mac jumped up. He ran around the bed to help Dennis up. Dennis wobbled on his feet.  


“I might need you to carry me to the bathroom.”  


Mac had him up bridal style before he even finished the sentence.  


Dennis laughed. Mac grinned back at him.  


“Happy new year, Den.”  


“Happy new year, baby boy.”


End file.
